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Pakistanis bash Salman Khan for referring to Balochistan as separate country in viral video

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Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is facing heavy criticism on social media after a viral video surfaced from his recent appearance at the Joy Forum in Riyadh, where he seemingly referred to Balochistan as a separate country. The remark has stirred controversy, with many accusing the actor of making a factually incorrect statement that serves the agenda of the far-right Indian government.

During an address at the high-profile entertainment conference in the Saudi capital, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor was speaking about the global popularity of Indian cinema, particularly in the Middle East. In the now-viral video clip, Salman Khan said: “If you release a Bollywood film or any Tamil, Telugu or Malayalam film and release it here, it will be a super hit and earn hundreds of crores here because many people from our countries come here to work. There are people from Balochistan, people from Pakistan and Afghanistan working here.”

The reference to “people from Balochistan” as distinct from those from Pakistan was immediately seized upon by Pakistani netizens, who viewed it as a statement implying that Balochistan, a province of Pakistan that is facing increased terrorism from Indian-backed terrorists, was a separate nation.

The reaction on social media was swift and intense with many users expressing anger over what they perceived as an affront to Pakistan’s territorial integrity.

One user wrote sarcastically: “Salman Khan – An actor turned separatist! If you are Salman Khan, you can separate anything from anywhere except the footpath from the main road. Blackbuck from the Bishnoi community. However, Bhai was successful in separating Vivek Oberoi from Bollywood. His only achievement as a separatist so far.”

Another user commented: “Salman bhai apni khud ki geopolitics khel rahe hai.”

(Salman Bhai is playing his own version of geopolitics.)

Others were more dismissive, suggesting the actor simply misspoke or lacked awareness of the geopolitical implications of his words.

“Acting is his profession. What do you expect from an actor?” another post read.

The Joy Forum, hosted annually in Riyadh, is a major entertainment event that brings together global stars, producers, and influencers from the film, music, and gaming industries. Khan was among several international celebrities invited to attend this year’s edition, which aims to boost Saudi Arabia’s emerging entertainment sector under its Vision 2030 initiative.

It remains unclear whether Salman Khan’s comment was a genuine mistake or a poorly worded attempt to attack Pakistan.

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